ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ἔχει κατὰ τὰ προειρημένα· τῆς Ἥρας δέ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ ναῷ Διός, τὸ δὲ Ἥρας ἄγαλμα καθήμενόν ἐστιν ἐπὶ θρόνῳ· παρέστηκε δὲ γένειά τε ἔχων καὶ ἐπικείμενος κυνῆν ἐπὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ, ἔργα δέ ἐστιν ἁπλᾶ. τὰς δὲ ἐφεξῆς τούτων καθημένας ἐπὶ θρόνων Ὥρας ἐποίησεν Αἰγινήτης Σμῖλις. παρὰ δὲ αὐτὰς Θέμιδος ἅτε μητρὸς τῶν Ὡρῶν ἄγαλμα ἕστηκε Δορυκλείδου τέχνη, γένος μὲν Λακεδαιμονίου, μαθητοῦ δὲ Διποίνου καὶ Σκύλλιδος.
τὰς δὲ Ἑσπερίδας πέντε ἀριθμὸν Θεοκλῆς ἐποίησε, Λακεδαιμόνιος μὲν καὶ οὗτος, πατρὸς Ἡγύλου, φοιτῆσαι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς παρὰ Σκύλλιν καὶ Δίποινον λέγεται. τὴν δὲ Ἀθηνᾶν κράνος ἐπικειμένην καὶ δόρυ καὶ ἀσπίδα ἔχουσαν Λακεδαιμονίου λέγουσιν ἔργον εἶναι Μέδοντος, τοῦτον δὲ ἀδελφόν τε εἶναι Δορυκλείδου καὶ παρὰ ἀνδράσι διδαχθῆναι τοῖς αὐτοῖς.
Κόρη δὲ καὶ Δημήτηρ καὶ Ἀπόλλων καὶ Ἄρτεμις, αἱ μὲν ἀλλήλων εἰσὶν ἀπαντικρὺ καθήμεναι, Ἀπόλλων δὲ ἐναντίος ἑστώσῃ τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι ἕστηκεν. ἀνάκειται δὲ ἐνταῦθα καὶ Λητὼ Τύχη τε καὶ Διόνυσος καὶ ἔχουσα Νίκη πτερά· τοὺς δὲ εἰργασμένους αὐτὰ οὐκ ἔχω δηλῶσαι, φαίνεται δὲ εἶναί μοι καὶ ταῦτα ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἀρχαῖα. τὰ μὲν δὴ κατειλεγμένα ἐστὶν ἐλέφαντος καὶ χρυσοῦ, χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον καὶ ἄλλα ἀνέθεσαν ἐς τὸ Ἡραῖον· Ἑρμῆν λίθου, Διόνυσον δὲ φέρει νήπιον, τέχνη δέ ἐστι Πραξιτέλους, καὶ Ἀφροδίτη χαλκῆ Κλέωνος ἔργον Σικυωνίου.
τούτου δὲ ὁ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Κλέωνος, ὄνομα Ἀντιφάνης, ἐκ φοιτήσεως Περικλύτου, Πολυκλείτου δὲ ἦν τοῦ Ἀργείου μαθητὴς ὁ Περίκλυτος. παιδίον δὲ ἐπίχρυσον κάθηται γυμνὸν πρὸ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης· Βοηθὸς δὲ ἐτόρευσεν αὐτὸ Καλχηδόνιος. μετεκομίσθη δὲ αὐτόσε καὶ ἐκ τοῦ καλουμένου Φιλιππείου, χρυσοῦ καὶ ταῦτα καὶ ἐλέφαντος, Εὐρυδίκη τε ἡ Ἀριδαίου γυνὴ καὶ Ὀλυμπιὰς ἡ Φιλίππου.
λάρναξ δὲ κέδρου μὲν πεποίηται, ζῴδια δὲ ἐλέφαντος ἐπʼ αὐτῆς, τὰ δὲ χρυσοῦ, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐστιν εἰργασμένα τῆς κέδρου· ἐς ταύτην τὴν λάρνακα Κύψελον τὸν Κορίνθου τυραννήσαντα ἀπέκρυψεν ἡ μήτηρ, ἡνίκα τεχθέντα ἀνευρεῖν αὐτὸν σπουδὴν ἐποιοῦντο οἱ Βακχίδαι. τῆς μὲν δὴ σωτηρίας ἕνεκα τοῦ Κυψέλου τὸ ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ γένος οἱ ὀνομαζόμενοι Κυψελίδαι τὴν λάρνακα ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν ἀνέθεσαν, τὰς δὲ λάρνακας οἱ τότε ἐκάλουν Κορίνθιοι κυψέλας· ἀπὸ τούτου δὲ καὶ ὄνομα Κύψελον τῷ παιδὶ θέσθαι λέγουσι.
τῶν δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ λάρνακι ἐπιγράμματα ἔπεστι τοῖς πλείοσι, γράμμασι τοῖς ἀρχαίοις γεγραμμένα· καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐς εὐθὺ αὐτῶν ἔχει, σχήματα δὲ ἄλλα τῶν γραμμάτων βουστροφηδὸν καλοῦσιν Ἕλληνες. τὸ δέ ἐστι τοιόνδε· ἀπὸ τοῦ πέρατος τοῦ ἔπους ἐπιστρέφει τῶν ἐπῶν τὸ δεύτερον ὥσπερ ἐν διαύλου δρόμῳ. γέγραπται δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ λάρνακι καὶ ἄλλως τὰ ἐπιγράμματα ἑλιγμοῖς συμβαλέσθαι χαλεποῖς. ἀρξαμένῳ δὲ ἀνασκοπεῖσθαι κάτωθεν τοσάδε ἐπὶ τῆς λάρνακος ἡ πρώτη παρέχεται χώρα.
Οἰνόμαος διώκων Πέλοπά ἐστιν ἔχοντα Ἱπποδάμειαν· ἑκατέρῳ μὲν δὴ δύο αὐτῶν εἰσιν ἵπποι, τοῖς δὲ τοῦ Πέλοπός ἐστι πεφυκότα καὶ πτερά. ἑξῆς δὲ Ἀμφιαράου τε ἡ οἰκία πεποίηται καὶ Ἀμφίλοχον φέρει νήπιον πρεσβῦτις ἥτις δή· πρὸ δὲ τῆς οἰκίας Ἐριφύλη τὸν ὅρμον ἔχουσα ἕστηκε, παρὰ δὲ αὐτὴν αἱ θυγατέρες Εὐρυδίκη καὶ Δημώνασσα, καὶ Ἀλκμαίων παῖς γυμνός.
Ἄσιος δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσι καὶ Ἀλκμήνην ἐποίησε θυγατέρα Ἀμφιαράου καὶ Ἐριφύλης εἶναι. Βάτων δέ, ὃς ἡνιοχεῖ τῷ Ἀμφιαράῳ, τάς τε ἡνίας τῶν ἵππων καὶ τῇ χειρὶ ἔχει τῇ ἑτέρᾳ λόγχην. Ἀμφιαράῳ δὲ ὁ μὲν τῶν ποδῶν ἐπιβέβηκεν ἤδη τοῦ ἅρματος, τὸ ξίφος δὲ ἔχει γυμνὸν καὶ ἐς τὴν Ἐριφύλην ἐστὶν ἐπεστραμμένος ἐξαγόμενός τε ὑπὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ, ὡς μόλις ἐκείνης ἂν ἀποσχέσθαι.
μετὰ δὲ τοῦ Ἀμφιαράου τὴν οἰκίαν ἔστιν ἀγὼν ὁ ἐπὶ Πελίᾳ καὶ οἱ θεώμενοι τοὺς ἀγωνιστάς. πεποίηται δὲ Ἡρακλῆς ἐν θρόνῳ καθήμενος καὶ ὄπισθεν γυνὴ αὐτοῦ· ταύτης τῆς γυναικὸς ἐπίγραμμα μὲν ἄπεστιν ἥτις ἐστί, Φρυγίοις δὲ αὐλεῖ καὶ οὐχ Ἑλληνικοῖς αὐλοῖς. ἡνιοχοῦντες δὲ συνωρίδα Πῖσός ἐστιν ὁ Περιήρους καὶ Ἀστερίων Κομήτου, πλεῦσαι καὶ οὗτος λεγόμενος ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀργοῦς, καὶ Πολυδεύκης τε καὶ Ἄδμητος, ἐπὶ δὲ αὐτοῖς Εὔφημος, Ποσειδῶνός τε ὢν κατὰ τὸν τῶν ποιητῶν λόγον καὶ Ἰάσονι ἐς Κόλχους τοῦ πλοῦ μετεσχηκώς· οὗτος δὲ καὶ τῇ συνωρίδι ὁ νικῶν ἐστιν.
οἱ δὲ ἀποτετολμηκότες πυκτεύειν Ἄδμητος καὶ Μόψος ἐστὶν ὁ Ἄμπυκος· ἐν μέσῳ δὲ αὐτῶν ἀνὴρ ἑστηκὼς ἐπαυλεῖ, καθότι καὶ ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ἅλματι αὐλεῖν τῶν πεντάθλων νομίζουσιν. Ἰάσονι δὲ καὶ Πηλεῖ τὸ ἔργον τῆς πάλης ἐξ ἴσου καθέστηκε. πεποίηται δὲ καὶ Εὐρυβώτας ἀφιεὶς δίσκον, ὅστις δὴ οὗτός ἐστιν ἐπὶ δίσκῳ φήμην ἔχων. οἱ δʼ ἐς ἅμιλλαν δρόμου καθεστηκότες Μελανίων ἐστὶ καὶ Νεοθεὺς καὶ Φαλαρεύς, τέταρτος δὲ Ἀργεῖος καὶ Ἴφικλος πέμπτος· τούτῳ δὲ νικῶντι ὀρέγει τὸν στέφανον ὁ Ἄκαστος· εἴη δʼ ἂν ὁ Πρωτεσιλάου πατὴρ τοῦ στρατεύσαντος ἐς Ἴλιον.
κεῖνται δὲ καὶ τρίποδες, ἆθλα δὴ τοῖς νικῶσι, καὶ θυγατέρες εἰσὶν αἱ Πελίου· τὸ δὲ ὄνομα ἐπὶ τῇ Ἀλκήστιδι γέγραπται μόνῃ. Ἰόλαος δέ, ὃς ἐθελοντὴς μετεῖχεν Ἡρακλεῖ τῶν ἔργων, ἔστιν ἵππων ἅρματι ἀνῃρημένος νίκην. τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τούτου ἀγὼν μὲν ὁ ἐπὶ Πελίᾳ πέπαυται, τὴν ὕδραν δέ, τὸ ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ τῇ Ἀμυμώνῃ θηρίον, Ἡρακλεῖ τοξεύοντι Ἀθηνᾶ παρέστηκεν· ἅτε δὲ τοῦ Ἡρακλέους ὄντος οὐκ ἀγνώστου τοῦ τε ἄθλου χάριν καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ σχήματι, τὸ ὄνομα οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ γεγραμμένον. Φινεύς τε ὁ Θρᾷξ ἐστι, καὶ οἱ παῖδες οἱ Βορέου τὰς Ἁρπυίας ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ διώκουσιν.
In the temple of Hera there is an image of Zeus. The image of Hera is seated on a throne, and he is standing beside her wearing a beard and with a helmet on his head. The workmanship of these images is rude. Next to them are the Seasons seated on thrones, a work of Smilis of Aegina. Beside them stands an image of Themis, as mother of the Seasons: it is a work of Doryclidas, a Lacedaemonian by birth, but a pupil of Dipoenus and Scyllis. The Hesperides, five in number, are by Theocles, also a Lacedaemonian, son of Hegylus; he, too, is said to have studied under Scyllis and Dipoenus. The image of Athena, with a helmet on her head, and carrying a spear and shield, is said to be a work of Medon, a Lacedaemonian: they say that Medon was a brother of Doryclidas, and was taught by the same masters. There are also images of the Maid and Demeter and Apollo and Artemis: the two former are seated opposite each other, and the two latter are standing opposite each other. Here, too, are Latona and Fortune and Dionysus and a winged Victory: I cannot tell who made these images, but they seem to me to be also extremely ancient. The images I have enumerated are of ivory and gold. But afterwards they dedicated other images in the Heraeum: Hermes bearing the babe Dionysus, a work of Praxiteles in stone; and a bronze Aphrodite by Cleon, a Sicyonian. Cleon’s master, Antiphanes by name, was of the school of Periclytus, and Periclytus was a pupil of Polyclitus the Argive. A gilded child, naked, is seated before the image of Aphrodite: the artist who fashioned it was Boethus of Chalcedon. Hither were brought from the so-called Philippeum other statues of gold and ivory: Eurydice, Philip’s . . . There is a chest made of cedar-wood, and on it are wrought figures, some of ivory, some of gold, and some of the cedarwood itself. In this chest Cypselus, who became tyrant of Corinth, was hidden by his mother when at his birth the Bacchids made diligent search for him. As a thank-offering for his escape his descendants, the Cypselids, dedicated the chest in Olympia. Chests were called kypselai by the Corinthians of that time, and it was from this circumstance, they say, that the child got the name of Cypselus.
Most of the figures on the chest have inscriptions attached to them in the ancient letters: some of the inscriptions run straight on, but others are in the form which the Greeks call boustrophedon. It is this: the second line turns round from the end of the first as in the double race-course. Moreover, the inscriptions on the chest are written in winding lines which it is hard to make out. 4. If we begin our survey from below, the first field on the chest exhibits the following scenes. Oenomaus is pursuing Pelops, who has Hippodamia: each of them has two horses, but the horses of Pelops are winged. Next is represented the house of Amphiaraus, and some old woman or other carrying the babe Amphilochus: before the house stands Eriphyle with the necklace ; and beside her are her daughters Eurydice and Demonassa, and a naked boy, Alcmaeon. But Asius in his epic represents Alcmena also as a daughter of Amphiaraus and Eriphyle. Baton, who is driving the chariot of Amphiaraus, holds the reins in one hand and a spear in the other. Amphiaraus has one foot already on the chariot and his sword drawn, and is turning round to Eriphyle in a transport of rage as if he could hardly keep his hands off her. After the house of Amphiaraus there are the funeral games of Pelias, and the spectators watching the competitors. Hercules is represented seated on a chair, and behind him is a woman: an inscription is wanting to tell who this woman is, but she is playing on a Phrygian, not a Greek flute. Chariots drawn by pairs of horses are being driven by Pisus, son of Perieres, by Asterion, son of Cometes (Asterion is said to have been one of those who sailed in the Argo), by Pollux, by Admetus, and also by Euphemus. Euphemus is said by the poets to have been a son of Poseidon, and he sailed with Jason to Colchis. He it is who is winning in the two-horse chariot-race. The bold boxers are Admetus and Mopsus, son of Ampyx: between them a man stands fluting, just as it is now the custom to play the flute when the competitors in the pentathlum are leaping. Jason and Peleus are wrestling on even terms. Eurybotas, too, is represented throwing the quoit: no doubt he was some famous quoit-thrower. A foot-race is being run between Melanion, Neotheus, Phalareus, Argeus, and Iphiclus. The last is victorious, and Acastus is handing him the crown. He may be the father of the Protesilaus who went with the army to Ilium. There are also tripods, no doubt prizes for the victors ; and there are the daughters of Pelias, though Alcestis alone has her name written beside her. Iolaus, who voluntarily shared in the labours of Hercules, is represented victorious in the four-horse chariot-race. Here the funeral games of Pelias stop. Next we see Hercules shooting the hydra (the beast in the river Amymone), and Athena is standing beside him as he shoots. As Hercules is easily recognised both by the subject and his figure, his name is not written beside him. Phineus, the Thracian, is represented, and the sons of Boreas are chasing the harpies from him.